Writer's Write - A New Year's Resolution

The new year is here,  and  with it comes  new hopes and dreams.  For many of us , the first day of January marks  a time of   making  a list  of resolutions to improve, change or grow in some particular fashion—to persevere and remain steadfast in reaching our goal of losing weight,   toning muscles, laughing more,  loving better— and  for us writers, our  list  might include,  write that  novel, memoir or  magazine article .

Fred White in his book, The Daily Writer says, For writers, New Year’s resolutions are motivational prods that actually can work, if you set up  a means of fulfilling the resolution along with the resolutions itself.

The point  White goes on to make is : For this new year, resolve not only to succeed at writing, but to write every day. To make this resolution stick, get into the routine—make writing a habit. This means carving out a set time for writing and adhering to it.

In browsing the internet this morning I came across several blogs and articles about  resolutions for writers, while they vary in outline : Overcome writer’s block, keep a journal, submit work, join a writer’s group, read more, write a novel— all had one resolution in common—to write every day.

Wendy Stetina, a sales and marketing professional with over 30 years experience in the printing and publishing industry and  currently Director of Author Services for Outskirts Press   says,  Real writers don’t just talk about writing. They actually do it. If you want to get closer to achieving your dreams and improve your writing make an effort to write something every day.

Sounds easy enough, doesn’t it ?  But what about the hundred and one other things that require our time and effort ?  You know, things like cooking, cleaning house, grocery shopping.   White suggests this—to ensure that you write every day, set aside a realistic chunk of time relative to the demands on your workday. Approach your writing as you do eating: as something you must do.  He also advises the writer to decide ahead of time what kind of writing you’re going to do (work on an outline for a novel, profile a character, describe a setting, and so forth) and do it.

In  her essay,  A Memoir Writer’s  New Year’s  Resolutions, I think Sara Etgen-Baker sums it up best :  I’ll remember the 3D’s—Determination, Discipline, Desire. 

As a writer,    the 3D’s  top my New Year's resolution list and  will be a helpful  reminder  throughout 2012  for me to  be more determined  to write every day, have the discipline to write, and flame my desire to write by the actual doing of it. 

Happy New Year, Writers !  Hoping 2012  will be your  year of stories written, poems published and memoirs shared.  Perhaps one of you may even write a book about New Year's Resolutions !